Happy in the Muck

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be so comfortable in their sin? They even seem to enjoy it. I have often contemplated this question. I was thinking about it today as a matter of fact.

It seems to me that the world is like a pigpen. The people in it are digging around in the dirt, rolling in the muck and gobbling up the slop the world has to offer. They are just as happy as they can be, because they don’t know any other way.

But sometimes someone comes along and points out the pristine white lambs playing in the crisp green meadow, eating clean sweet grass, lying on beds of soft foliage, drinking from the living water, and they begin to wonder if this pigpen life is all there is. They are no longer comfortable and happy in the muck.

It is up to us, as the purified lambs of Christ, to live in such a way that the world will want what we have. We must let the world know how Christ can clean them and make their world cleaner and fresher than the pigpen they are now in. We must let them know how much sweeter is the Bread of Life than the slop of sin, how much more refreshing is drinking from the living water than slurping from the mud puddle.

Are you living your life so as to convince the world that you have something special? Does you life reflect the purity of Christ or are you, as a purified lamb of Christ, going back to the pigpen and wallowing in the muck?

You see, when we become a Christian, God transforms us from swine into lambs. He cleans us up and makes us whiter then snow. Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (CEV) Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (NIV) But it is up to us to maintain the cleanliness. Search your life to find the dirt. Is there anything unwholesome in your life?

Think about the Ten Commandments. Is there anything you put ahead of God in your life: family, job, money, watching TV, or even eating for pleasure instead of survival? There is nothing wrong with any of those things, unless we make them a priority ahead of God. Then they can become our gods. (Deuteronomy 11:16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.)(NIV) Have you built for yourself an idol? This sounds silly in this day and age, but we sometime make idols out of the best of things. Is there anything you own that it would devastate you to lose: house, car, clothing, jewelry or shoes (ouch)? Everything we own belongs to God and He has every right to take it away, especially if we are putting it ahead of Him in our hearts and therefore making it an idol. If you watch TV, text, Facebook or twitter, you’ve seen OMG. Even though it is just letters, the meaning is clear and it is using God’s name incorrectly. I have always told my children and the children and teens I’ve taught in church, never use God’s name unless you are talking to Him or about Him, as in witnessing. Any other use of His or His Son’s name is wrong and should not be done. Do you over-work and not take a day off just to relax. How about talking back to your mother or father, even as adults we are to respect our parents and not sass or talk rudely to them. If you really listen, they may just have some words of wisdom to impart. Have you ever murdered? No? Have you ever wished someone dead or shouted in anger, “I could just kill you!” If you have, you have murdered in you heart. Jesus said don’t do it. Have you ever felt lust, lied, or saw something someone else had and wanted it so badly you took it, or bought it when you couldn’t afford it. All of these things are like the muck in the pigpen. If we wallow in them we will get dirty and God cannot tolerate filth. Think about it, do you like filth on your children?

It’s hard to live in the world without getting dirty sometimes, the world tends to splash, but we shouldn’t climb back into the pen to wallow in it. When we do get dirty we must return to the Shepherd for cleansing. We tend to get into trouble by seeing how close we can get to the dirt without getting filthy. It’s the climbing back into the pen that constitutes sin. How can we convince the pigs to become lambs if the lambs act no different from the pigs?

Are you standing too close to the pen? Are you watching movies and TV programs that can damage your walk with Christ? How about the books you read, the music you listen to, the jokes you listen to or tell (Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.)(NIV), or even the things you look at on the Internet? How about the friends with whom you spend your time? Do they help you in your Christian life or do they splash a little muck in your direction?

Luke 21:34-36 "Be careful, don't spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you. (CVE)

Relationship not Religion

As I have stated in other blogs, I am a facebooker. Sometimes God gives us a tool to use for His kingdom and I believe facebook can be a powerful tool. I often encounter negetive comments about religion, some are judgemental while others are downright belligerent. I totally understand how a non-christian can get the wrong idea about Christianity as I know a lot of so called christians who just don't get it. It was never meant to be a ball and chain, so to speak. Christ came to set us free from the chains of sin. But instead of reveling in that freedom, lots of christians walk around as though they had to give up so much to follow Christ.

I see so many comments that religion is not the answer to the worlds woes. To that I say...
You are right in saying that religion is not the answer, faith in Jesus Christ is! Faith in Jesus is not a religion, but a relationship. In order to understand true freedom you need only have total faith in Him. Believieng in a higher power does not absolve you of accountability, but holds you to a higher accountability and the freedom to enjoy life without guilt. When you are in a relationship, you do what is best for that relationship. And that, my dear facebook friends, is why I try to do what is right and charitable. I also do it because it is in my nature to be altruistic, to help people and because I like relieving the suffering of others, making them smile, making them laugh. When I harm someone I regret because I empathize with their suffering, which I have caused them. I feel compelled to repair it because I cannot bear the fact that they have it on my account, not because I fear some eternal repercussion but because all these are attributes given me by a God who loves stronger and hurts deeper then I can even imagine and I would do anything to please the one I love. Relationship, my dear friends, not religion. You may not believe it, but that doesn't make it wrong. I belive it with everything that is within me and there is nothing that can seperate me from the love of my God, not even death.

Why Should I Feel Rejected?

Have you ever felt rejected? Whether imagined or real, we have all felt rejected from time to time. I am a naturally social person and sometimes when I want to talk and someone else doesn’t, I feel a twinge of rejection.

Lately I have discovered the joys of Facebook. However, with the joy has also come the feeling of rejection. I love to get on there and chat with all my friends who are on-line. But I have notice that not everyone wants to chat with me. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember very many times when someone else started the chat. There are also times when I try to start a chat and the other person never responds or they respond and then just leave in mid-conservation with not so much as a see ya. The feeling of rejection is especially strong when the other person is someone I consider a close personal friend.

With the Easter season coming, all these feelings of rejection have made me think of Jesus. Does that sound strange? Think about it. Jesus was rejected even before he was born. Jesus lived with rejection His whole time here on earth. He was rejected by the Holy men of the day, He was rejected by many he spoke to, He was even rejected by those closest to Him on His way to the cross. Then there was the ultimate rejection. As he hung on the cross and took the sins of the world (past, present and future) on himself, His own Father couldn’t even look at Him. Now that’s rejection!
Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

I can’t even imagine what that rejection felt like. It is also a rejection I will never have to feel. From Hebrews 13:5 we learn that He will not leave us or forsake us. So even though I sometimes feel rejection from my friends, I never do from my Lord, and that makes the other rejection sting a lot less.

Worry! Why?

In 2 Kings 5:1-13 we find the story of Naaman. He was a well respected soldier who had leprosy. It is a well known story of a man asked to do something very simple in order to be cured. As the story goes, he wasn’t happy about it and almost missed out on being cured.

As I read this story again something different caught my eye. God’s word is funny that way. In verses 4-7 we see the King of Syira sending Naaman to Israel to be cured. "Naaman left and took along seven hundred fifty pounds of silver, one hundred fifty pounds of gold, and ten new outfits. He also carried the letter to the king of Israel. It said, "I am sending my servant Naaman to you. Would you cure him of his leprosy?" When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in fear and shouted, "That Syrian king believes I can cure this man of leprosy! Does he think I'm God with power over life and death? He must be trying to pick a fight with me."

What puzzled me was the king of Israel’s reaction to the request. I don’t know about you, but if someone came to me with seven hundred fifty pounds of silver, one hundred fifty pounds of gold, and ten new outfits, I wouldn’t think he was trying to pick a fight. I would think he was trying to be really good friends. Even if I couldn’t possibly grant his request, it would never occur to me that it was all a rouse to pick a fight. However, I do know people who always seem to think of the absolute worst scenario to every situation, first. Then they play every possible negative outcome in their mind and worry about what might be.

I was just wondering why God would put this bit of negativity into an otherwise positive story of faith. But then, isn’t life like that so much of the time. There is a negative, as well as a positive, side to almost every situation. I guess it really just depends on which side we choose to concentrate. In ever situation we have a choice to make. Will we trust God and expect the best or we will doubt God and worry.

Did you ever think about it in those terms? When we truly trust God, what do we have to worry about? If we truly trust God, shouldn’t we expect the best? Shouldn’t we look for the good in a situation? Shouldn’t we have peace in the midst of the storm. If we are fearful, are we truly trusting God?

Most people who know me would tell you I am an optimist. I tend to see the bright side of things. Does that mean I walk around with my head in the clouds? Not at all. I just choose to see things through my trust in God. I tend not to worry about things. Which doesn’t say I don’t get concerned sometimes, I just don’t let that concern consume me and become worry. When the doctor came in and told me I had cancer, I think I shocked him. I didn’t get upset or cry or any of the normal reactions. My first thought was, "Okay, so God will either cure me or I’ll meet Jesus face to face sooner than expected. So what do we do next?" I really felt no fear at all, which I think surprised me as much as anyone else. God is so faithful.

So why would God put a bit of negativity into an otherwise positive story. Maybe to show us that other people have those negative thoughts too, and that they are usually unfounded. Probably the only place the bad things are going to happen, are in our minds.

I Am Holy

1 Corinthians 1:2 (New International Reader's Version)
We are sending this letter to you, the members of God's church in Corinth. You have been made holy because you belong to Christ Jesus. God has chosen you to be his holy people. He has done the same for all those everywhere who pray to our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is their Lord and ours.

WOW! Have you ever thought about the fact that you are holy because you belong to Christ? What an awesome thought. I am holy. I am holy. ME! Do I feel honored or what?

Would I live any differently if I reminded myself every morning before I got up, I am holy. I belong to Christ and I am holy. I have been chosen by God and I am holy. WOW!!! Now, I am not a morning person. I am really not the rise and shine type. But would it help if I woke up remembering I am in Christ and I am holy? God has chosen me and I am holy!!! It sure couldn’t hurt.

What a privilege and what a responsibility. If we are made holy in Christ, don’t we have the responsibility to live like we are holy? Maybe responsibility is the wrong word. Maybe trustworthiness is a better word. Responsibility makes it sound like we don’t have a choice. God always gives us the choice to live like we belong to Him or like we don’t. It’s usually easier to live like we are holy in the big things. We would never kill someone. We would never steal a car. We would never cheat on our spouse. Things like that, because we are Christians, don’t even come into play in our lives. But what about the small things. Do we live like we are holy in the small things, as well as the big?

When my spouse does something around the house, do I thank him and encourage him, or do I growl at him like a bear with a thorn in my paw because it wasn’t done the way I would have done it? I must admit, I have been guilty of this one. When someone at work hurts my feelings, do I sulk and harbor resentment or do I realize they may be going through some tough time and need my understanding. When someone cuts me off in traffic or doesn’t pull away from the stop sign as fast as I think they should, do I grumble and shout at them (they can’t hear you, you know, but God can) or do I practice patience and pray that they get home safely. OUCH! That one hurts.

I’ve come to the conclusion that living like I am holy is not a privilege, but a sweet responsibility. Something I should be conscientious about. Something we should feel honored to show the world. If we live our lives as though we know Christ has made us holy, will the world not want to follow suit? And even if it doesn’t, should we let them affect our determination to follow Christ leading? Just some things to think about on this wonderful day God has given us to serve Him.

Be Still

Times were bleak, the news was bad,
The world was troubled, confused and sad,
I cried, "Dear God, why should this be"?
God said, "Dear Child, be still and know me."
Nothing seemed to go my way,
Things went wrong throughout the day,
I cried, "Dear God, why must this be"?
God said, "Dear Child, be still and know me."
I lay awake with troubled thought,
I could not rest, with sleep I fought.
I cried, "Dear God, how can this be"?
God said, "Dear Child, be still and know me."
I tried to tell God how things should be,
I thought I knew what was best for me,
I cried, "Dear God, why can’t this be"?
God said, "Dear Child, be still and know me."
I opened my Bible, I read His Word,
I found the peace, for which I’d yearned,
I cried, "Dear God, why couldn’t I see"?
God said, "Dear Child, you forgot to be still and know me."
Now when life seems hard to bear,
When I worry and despair,
I know the secret; I’ve found the key,
To hear God say, "Be still and know me!"

Baggage

I was just looking at a print I have hanging on my stairway wall. It depicts a man standing on a hill with two bags in his hands. On a hill in the distance is a cross. If you look closely at the hill the cross is on, you will find that it is made up of bags. There is darkness everywhere, except on the hill of baggage with the cross. There is a bright light shining around that hill.

As I pondered this print, I thought about life. I thought of how we tend to stumble around in the darkness, carrying our baggage. We lug around anger, resentment, hurt, hate, etc., never thinking about the fact that God has provided a way for us to lay those burdens down. All we need to do is go to the foot of the cross and give them to Jesus. It really is that simple. Jesus is like one of those guys at the airport or in a fine hotel that rushes up and carries your baggage, except, instead of us paying Him; He has already paid the price Himself.

Then I thought about that hill. It was all our baggage that made it necessary for Jesus to go to the cross in the first place. He paid the ultimate price so we could be free of that baggage. How arrogant are we to try to hang on to that baggage, after the price has already been paid so Jesus could carry it for us. What conceit it takes for us to think we can handle that baggage better then Jesus. What pride we have in our own ability, all the while stumbling around in the darkness trying to carry all that baggage ourselves.

Isn’t it time you gave your baggage to Jesus? 1 Peter 2:24 (CEV) says, Christ carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so that we would stop sinning and start living right. By his cuts and bruises you are healed. Take your burdens to Jesus in prayer, give them to Him and trust him to carry them for you. Then enjoy basking in the light of His love and healing.